Widows now have decent roofing; Children can now learn with good school supplies WILLS POINT, Texas —Gospel for Asia-supported Sisters of Compassion delivered gifts to improve the lives of children and poor widows in a remote village in northeastern India. The Sisters of Compassion are specialized women workers trained to minister to the poor. The items they supplied included school supplies for the children and tin roofing material to protect the widows from the elements.
The villagers welcomed the arrival of the gifts in a celebratory meeting that included guest speakers and people from the surrounding areas. The children displayed their new supplies and were reminded that God loves and cares for them.
“It’s amazing how much even simple gifts can improve people’s lives,” said Dr. KP Yohannan, founder and president of Gospel for Asia. “These villagers live far from the cities and markets, so they have to struggle to survive. We’re grateful to have had a part in helping them attain a better future.”
The villagers depend on jhum cultivation to grow their own food—a process that involves clearing the land of vegetation to plant crops. They have few other source of income.
The Gospel for Asia Sisters of Compassion began serving the villagers in February 2016. Among their other projects, they founded a tutoring center to educate the children. But until now the children were lacking in basic supplies such as notebooks, pens, pencils and erasers.
The Sisters of Compassion also provided geometry boxes for the children to help them learn mathematical skills. These kits typically include compasses, dividers, rulers, and other tools. To the children, they represent opportunity—which was scarce before these gifts arrived.
“I never thought that I would own a geometry box,” said Pritimala, a fifth-grade student. “This is very useful for my math class. I did not even tell my parents to buy a geometry box because I knew they have no money.”
The roofing material will provide protection for villagers during the rainy season, which can be life-threatening in this part of India. The widows especially appreciate receiving this material that will allow them now to live in safety and comfort.
“I cannot explain how happy I am by getting tin sheets,” said Kartarung, one of the widows. “Each year I and my sons used to work hard to replace the portion of the thatch where water drips during the rainy season. Now we can replace the thatch roof with tin sheets, and I am very excited for the gift. We can get sound sleep, even in rainy season.”
This is just one of the long-term improvements the Sisters of Compassion expect to bring to the people of the remote village.
“God loves these people so much,” said Dr. KP Yohannan, “and we want them to know that. Let’s pray that these expressions of God’s love will make a lasting impact on their hearts.”
More information is available at www.gfa.org.
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GFA (Gospel for Asia) has – for more than 30 years ‒ provided humanitarian assistance and spiritual hope to millions across Asia, especially among those who have yet to hear the Good News. Last year, this included more than 70,000 sponsored children, free medical camps conducted in more than 1,200 villages and remote communities, over 4,000 wells drilled, over 11,000 water filters installed, Christmas presents for more than 200,000 needy families, and spiritual teaching available in 110 languages in 14 nations through radio ministry.